27 August 2010 0 Comments

new kindle launches today :: yeah, but can it cook me breakfast?

new kindle launches today  ::  yeah, but can it cook me breakfast?

My smartphone is practically a Transformer.  Freaks me out.  If I program it correctly, it will get up before I do, put on a pot of coffee, and whip me up a nice plate of Eggs Bene (with scrambled eggs… poached eggs are gross) and a side of Hash Browns.   But with all that [...]

11 August 2010 21 Comments

i love you man, but i can’t stand your wife :: anne rice, derek webb, vampires, and the church

i love you man, but i can’t stand your wife  ::  anne rice, derek webb, vampires, and the church

  Almost two weeks ago now, novelist Anne Rice (famous for her “Vampire Chronicles” series, including Interview With the Vampire) did something, because of her faith in Jesus Christ, that resonated with a lot of people. She left Christianity. July 29, 2010, on her Facebook page, Anne posted the following: In follow-up posts and interviews, Anne has continued to espouse [...]

9 August 2010 1 Comment

going :: how to know when god says go

going  ::  how to know when god says go

  May 9, 2010.  Living Hope Church in St. Michael-Albertville, MN.  I taught some practical Biblical principles to help make a wise choice when we face a big decision.  The kind that will change the direction of our life.  Should I take that job?  Where do I go to school?  Should I ask her to marry [...]

9 August 2010 0 Comments

why god made moms

why god made moms

May 9, 2010.  Living Hope Church in St. Michael-Albertville, MN.  This was our Mother’s Day message, but let’s be honest…  Moms deserve this kind of encouragement every week.  Am I right, or am I right?  Moms, we love you.  God knew we needed you, and His perfect design had you in mind.  I hope this message fills [...]

22 July 2010 1 Comment

heart AND mind :: john piper on idolatry and love

I’m ready for this discussion. The Church needs to have it. John Piper has a word of warning for both those who abandon or avoid sound theology for emotionalism -AND- those who abandon a simple, passionate love relatonship with God for love of theological debate. Emotional existentialism. Doctrinal dogmaticism. Both are IDOLATRY. “You must love [...]

15 July 2010 7 Comments

why i don’t need God anymore :: the greatest letter of all time

why i don’t need God anymore :: the greatest letter of all time

“Joshua, please forgive us, but we have just taken a closer look at your profile.  It turns out you’re more special than any of us imagined!” Yeah baby!  THAT’S the way to start a letter!  Alright, mystery guy who sent me a personal letter just to me, for me only.  You had me at hello.  [...]

13 July 2010 15 Comments

faith of our fathers :: potatoes and a brain tumor

faith of our fathers  ::  potatoes and a brain tumor

The first memory I have of Auntie Natalie is eating frost she had scraped out of the freezer on the farm in Karlstad, MN, out of a plastic glass with a metal spoon.  Like a naked snow cone.  And listening to a Steve Martin album in her bedroom.  I must have been five or six, maybe.  [...]

12 July 2010 3 Comments

i can’t save you so i’m not going to try :: conversation with atheists

i can’t save you so i’m not going to try :: conversation with atheists

  Over the last three days I’ve been engaged in a fascinating and heart-churning discussion with an old friend.  We use to lead worship together.  Now, he’s abandoned faith for reason, and considers God worse than a fairy tale.  I’m deeply glad we’ve connected again. And here’s the deal… I’m not responsible for his relationship to [...]

8 July 2010 1 Comment

tweeting LIFE :: thoughts on strategic transparency, storytelling, and land mines

tweeting LIFE  ::  thoughts on strategic transparency, storytelling, and land mines

Oops. I bet she wishes she could get a do-over.  Not so much.  As of yesterday afternoon, CNN Middle East news correspondant Octavia Nasr is out of a job because of one tweet.  In a moment she now says she deeply regrets, Ms. Nasr expressed her respect for the recently deceased Hezbollah leader (and terrorist) Sayyed Mohammed Hussein [...]

23 June 2010 3 Comments

usa world cup fever :: alcohol, crowd dynamics, and fresh motivation

usa world cup fever  ::  alcohol, crowd dynamics, and fresh motivation

I get a little unnerved when I realize there’s a huge group of people who obviously got the memo on something awesome I knew nothing about.  Like when I realized, three seasons into LOST, that everyone I knew considered it the best thing to happen to television since The Dukes of Hazzard.  I hadn’t seen a [...]

Get Adobe Flash playerPlugin by wpburn.com wordpress themes